Trust me folks, this is not your typical Beaujolais. Domaine Cheveau's new Villa Violettes bottling is dark, powerful, complex, and immensely enjoyable. Importer Neal Rosenthal secures a scant 125 cases for the US market, and I was lucky to snag 5 of those.
You will not find this micro-production Cru Beaujolais anywhere else in Western North Carolina. From the northernmost Beaujolais Cru, where the wines tend to be lighter fresher, this is deeply colored, full-flavored, and laced with explosive fresh fruit. Disregard your preconceived notions of Gamay and Beaujolais, and try this.
2018 Domaine Cheveau Saint-Amour Villa Violettes
93 points Josh Spurling: "Powerful Cru Beaujolais that drinks like Pinot Noir crossed with Syrah."
ORDER NOW in our online store. We will apply deal pricing once we receive your order.
When referencing Domaine Cheveau, we'd usually be talking about their world-class Pouilly Fuisses. We stock this one and trust me, it's wonderful. But today, we're talking about one of their two red wines. Coming from Saint-Amour, just south of Pouilly Fuisse, these wines tend to be light, fresh, and fruit forward. Cheveau's Villa Violettes is completely the opposite. This old vine bottling is nearly opaque in color and the flavors are much darker fruited and intense.
This new cuvee is composed of five parcels of vines the estate recently acquired. Average vine age is 60 to 70 years, and these old vines are part of the quality equation here. Cheveau also chooses to de-stem their grapes, and they allow a long cold maceration and cuvaison which extracts more color, body, and flavor. At the end of the day, whatever they are doing to craft this wine get two thumbs up from me.
So what's it like? I think I've gotten the point across that this one is dark, especially for a Beaujolais. That characteristic immediately caught my attention, but it was the aroma that truly enchanted me. Soaring notes of dark and brambly berries, smoky mineral, violet, and spice all show up to the party. The palate is also delightful with a perfect balance of ripe, fresh fruit and firm tannin. This is very different than Beaujolais Nouveau, and it's unlike any Saint-Amour I've ever tried.
It you want to experience the good side of Beaujolais, try this impressive wine. Like I said earlier, it's like Pinot Noir meets Syrah. There is a terrific elegance/power interplay going on here that is hard to put into words. Get a bottle, and experience this one for yourself.
ORDER NOW in our online store. We will apply deal pricing once we receive your order.
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville